Through Angel's Eyes
by BedeviledTemptress
Summary: Sakura-centric. Different timeline from the mangaanime.


**Through Angel's Eyes**

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

AN: Set three years after the five left Konoha to retrieve Sasuke. As each month passes, Sakura gets increasingly worried for the five have not returned yet. Tsunade, the Hokage, has sent several ANBU squads but none can find them. Finally she decides to leave and search for them herself and bring the dark-haired boy with onyx eyes back to her. But at the border Kakashi suddenly appears in front of her. This is in mid-point of their conversation. The point of view will switch back and forth.

"Would you really be able to kill, Sakura? Could you force your arm back and look into a person's eyes, and see your own intent reflected back to you? Death is always hard, and to kill a human being whether innocent or guilty leaves a stain that can never be washed away."

The pink haired ninja stared at the silver-haired jounin, emerald eyes bright with unshed tears.

Kakashi's face softened as he rubbed the side of his black mask with a finger. He placed a hand on his student's shoulder, "I'm sorry but I agree with Tsunade. You've done your task . . . if you couldn't bring Sasuke back then the only other option is the one Shikamaru and the rest are doing right now."

Sakura bowed her head as a tear slipped from her eyes to drop on the dusty trail beneath her feet. "And . . . and it's okay for those five to kill?" Her voice was trembling, breaking . . .

_No one understands! I'd die without being with him. I love . . . him. I'd . . . die for him . . . I'd die for him. . . _

She brought her head up fiercely, staring, willing him to understand her predicament. Her green eyes were like sparkling jewels, glittering with anguish.

"I can't . . . I can't stop thinking of him, I can't stop . . . remembering Orochimaru and . . ." She trailed off, the tightness in her chest expanding as her body shook with anger. "It's not fair," she said softly.

Kakashi stared at her, face composed. "It's not fair?" he asked, looking at her with an expression close to sympathy.

She abruptly turned her head away, pink hair fluttering in the soft breeze as she stared at the horizon- a dark red smeared with yellow and orange.

"It's because . . . I'm not strong enough. It's because I would be a liability to Naruto if they were to be attacked." Her green eyes were distant as she drank in the colors of the setting sun, the colors of death and destruction. "I- I keep on imaging myself traveling with Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru . . . all of them . . . battling and succeeding, winning . . . proving to myself but mostly to Sasuke that I'm strong enough to handle his pain. Strong enough to be his crutch and not his burden, that I can help ease his pain away."

Kakashi turned to look at the clouds, his profile a black shape in the dimming light.

_It seems like just yesterday when all my students were here with me. Funny how in a second, life can change boys into men and girls into woman . . ._

"Sakura," he said heavily, wearily closing his eyes. "You're . . . precious to Konoha. Those five . . . have a different path than yours."

"Don't lie." Kakashi stopped, startled at the vehemence in her voice. "I'm not a precious princess to be protected. I knew what I was getting into when I was in the ninja academy. And . . ." a bitter-sweet smile crept on to her face, "my ninja way is to never let my loved ones fall by themselves, to always be by their side." Her eyes were such a deep green like the fresh sun-kissed grass in the plains. She was an innocent angel, a blossoming woman.

She roughly shoved past him, firmly walking down the path, refusing to look back. She was Haruno Sakura and that was her ninja way.

Kakashi watched his student- no, former student- walk away on steady legs, head held high, a graceful flower in the breeze. The white circle on her back slowly shrinking as with each step she took, she walked away from the safety of Konoha . . . and his heart.

"Sakura," he whispered into the silence, "I will not stop you. Precious flower of Konoha, may you survive and come back."

Somehow. . . somehow his little student had unknowingly snatched his heart away, his heart that had always ached for all of his fellow comrades lost in past battles. A heart that now ached for a totally different reason.

A thick darkness set as the velvet sky unrolled her field of stars into the sky.

_Dawn will be kind, lonely shadow rise from the darkness. Dream a dream and see through angel's eyes . . .**1**_

Sakura looked up at the night sky, the jeweled stars winking back at her as a wave of loneliness washed through her.

_I'm sorry Kakashi-sensei. . . but I can not stay here until I know what has happened to them._

Back resolute and straight, she trudged slowly down the path.

_My flower, my angel . . .may fate be kind to you._

AN: Eh, just something I had on my mind. Hopefully you understood who was thinking what.

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1 Words from "Dream a Dream" sung by Charlotte Church 


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